This is mainly because people typically give advice about stuff when they are experts on it.

And I am most certainly not a blogging expert.

In fact, in by most comparisons, I am still sort of a newbie. I’ve been blogging since August of 2016, but blogging itself has been around since the late 90s/early 2000s. By that stretch of time, my blogging experience is nothing.

Today I’m going to share a few tidbits that I think could be helpful to new bloggers. These things might not be useful to everybody, but I know I would have liked to hear them when I started setting up my blog.

Firstly and and mostly importantly:

Blog writing is not essay writing

Blog writing and essay writing are NOT the same thing.

The sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be. Trust me.

For me, it took a while to realize this. You can probably tell if you go back and read through some of my very first posts.

My initial blog entries were written in a style that was too formal for what I was trying to do. As a lifestyle blogger, my goal was to create a place where I could engage with likeminded people about things that interest me. I wanted to be able to connect with people who shared interests similar to my own. And while I was writing about topics I enjoyed, I was missing something important.

My personality.

I was writing in the format of an essay. I was using long, wordy paragraphs. I was taking myself too seriously. I wasn’t who I am translate through my writing, which is a MASSIVE problem when you’re trying to connect with people.

Through your blog, people want to see who you are as a person. They want to know why you decided to create a blog. They want to know what inspires and motivates you.

Personality is key in blog writing. It’s what is going to bring people to your site, and it’s what is going to keep them coming back.

It’s important to be aware of who your audience is, and if you’re writing to it in a creative and personal way. Your readers should be able to sense who you are and why you’re here in each post you put up.

Make your writing fun and engaging. Let your readers really get to know you. It might take some time for you to find your blogging voice, but it will make a huge difference once you do. Every aspect of your blog should be an accurate representation of YOU.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that:

You need to engage in the community (and be genuine about it)

Engaging with other bloggers is just as important to the success of your blog as creating content.

Having other blogs that you read and enjoy not only makes the experience of blogging more fun, it also helps you learn more about blogging in general. So many of the things I’ve discovered about blogging have been through blogs I read regularly. Especially flatlays. Until I started reading blogs, I had no clue what a flatlay even was.

Interacting with the blogging community is also good for promoting positivity. I can’t speak for every blogger, but I know it makes my day when I receive comments on my posts. And it’s great to be able to spread that positivity around through comments and likes of your own

However, it’s crucial that you keep your blogging interactions genuine. Make sure you’re actually reading the content that you’re commenting on, not just dropping a generic remark.

(a.k.a. don’t be rude)

People can tell when you’re genuinely interested in what they have to say and when you aren’t. And some might even be offended if you drop a thoughtless comment on their post and then ask them to check out your site.

You don’t want to rub people the wrong way. So, be sincere in all of your interactions.

The final piece of advice I have for you is kind of a cliche one:

Don’t get caught up in numbers

Getting overly consumed in the numbers game will suck all the fun out of blogging.

It’ll make you doubt yourself. It’ll make you think your content isn’t good enough. It’ll make you only want to write certain posts because they generate more views. Overall, it’s just not a good path to go down.

Focus on things other than the numbers. Remember why you got into blogging in the first place and make that your top priority. Growing your readership will take time, and, if you dwell too much on your stats, it’ll seem like it’s never going to happen.

I think that’s just about all I’ve got for blogging advice. While I’m certainly no expert, I hope this could be of some help.

This is such a great post. I agree, it does take a while to find your writing style. Mine was too jokey to begin with, and I would seriously overuse exclamation marks.

It’s finding a balance I suppose, like you say we need to let some personality show through in our copy. It definitely is easy to get caught up with numbers. Sometimes I get really fed up with it all then I’ll get a great opportunity drop into my inbox and I’m back on it again.

Thank you so much, Samantha! Finding a balance is a great way to put it! And numbers can certainly be discouraging, especially those first few months of blogging. Great opportunities make it all worthwhile!

When I started off blogging I had SUCH an issue with writing too formally and I’ve found that as I write more casually and show the real me, I’ve def been enjoying writing more! Also, it’s hard not getting caught up in views and follows and all that but it’s sooo freeing to just put it aside! Such great advice xx
Felicia | http://bookishbrunettegal.wordpress.com

What truth! I totally agree that you have to bring yourself into your writing always and allow your readers to get to know you as a person so that your following is genuine. My blogs that I feel the best about are the ones that came straight from my heart, and are conversational and fun in tone, just being me! Blog writing and essay writing really are not the same, and that’s the beauty in blogging!

I love reading inspirational posts like this! I went through a period where I was so down on myself and even fell into that envy of someone elses success situation! But I came out of by reading posts like yours here! Thanks for posting this!!! 😍

Hahaha I read this and now Im wondering if my comment on your post about authenticity was rude/not contributing enough. Anyway, I agree with all the advice in this post 🙂 it’s easy to tell when people are just “liking” your posts just to get their blog seen so they can reach their follower goal v.s. actually reading what you say

Hi, Paige! I really enjoyed this post, and although you claimed to still feel like a newbie, you definitely filled your post with great advice. I loved how you mentioned adding personality to your blog. I am a new lifestyle blogger, and I will admit that I have basically binged read every type of “beginner blog” post there is. But no one seems to mention personalities, which is so crucial!! But anyway, I just wanted to drop by your comments to tell you wonderful job with the post, keep it up! 🙂

Thanks so much for this post! I ran an online business for a lot of years and I’m finding it hard to move away from the corporate style so your advice of ‘just be yourself’ is soooo useful (and something of a relief I have to say) Thanks again and have a great day x

I’ve just started blogging and I’ve found it’s a nice little community on here with some really nice and helpful people. I get what you mean about getting caught watching the numbers. Even though that’s not what it’s about for me I have found myself thinking about it.

And about writing with your personality. I imagine that’s something, like you said, that comes with time. You need to find your style and what you really want to talk about. Thanks for the advice.

Really loved reading this across my blogosphere this morning. Im quite new to blogging but Im a chef to food, I love being able to connect with readers and with other bloggers that are genuine & lovely to talk to. You seem so in tune with blogging! LUCKY! But I hope to get the hang of the writing im no J.K. Rowling. But I do too have a fun vocabulary and personality, Now following you thanks to this post!

I truly enjoyed reading your insight on what a blog should consist of and how to secure that you’re being genuine and hitting your core audience. I completely appreciated the advice, since I am also a fellow, “newbie” blogger, and I had begun to get caught up in the stats. Thank you for reminding me why I wanted to begin a blog in the first place!! Your post was much appreciated!!

Thank you for the great tips. I like how you say that who we are needs to be reflected in our posts. My 2nd post, just two days ago, was titled “why I threw my e-cig in the dumpster”. It got a lot of views. I’m a newbie, but I think a catchy title is helpful to draw people in.

I have a question. I paid $48 for a personal plan with WordPress. I posted “published” two times this week, but I don’t see my posts with the others. Someone told me I need a blog?? Well….isn’t that what I’ve done? I’m so confused. Any clarification you could give me would be so helpful.

Gail, log in to WordPress website, click on My site>Blog posts. you should see your post in this list of published posts (or it could be in drafts). Open you post in edit mode and make sure the post status is set to ”public.” check the date. click update/publish button.
Hope it works out for you!

I had the same experience. My first few posts were like essays straight out of English 101. 😛 It was so formal that it could literally be a sample page of my university thesis. But eventually (on my 7th post, exactly) I finally was able to come up with a natural sounding post. And a reader (my sister, actually) pointed it out to me right away!
It’s my second month blogging. And so far, I’m loving it. I honestly enjoy commenting on other people’s blog. And I get excited every time I get notified that someone commented on mine. 🙂
Thanks for this article. It’s nice to hear that I’m not do only one experiencing my boo-boos. 😀